Right now

Now only the dog was with him, and the dog was black, with only a white circle above its four hooves, which he always called "Flying on the Grass". The dog is already old, it has long been unable to fly, its coat color is no longer bright, and its eyes are far less lively than when it was young. Like him, it always wanted to find a place to lie down for a while, and when it lay down, it was stunned, looking here and there, and it seemed to see everything, and it seemed to see nothing. The eyes are empty and blank, spring, summer, autumn and winter, hot and cold, and the four seasons flow by you again and again. In his memory, the dog was almost twenty years old, and for people this age is the size of a young man, and the days can run forward, but it is a miracle for the dog to survive until now. He was always thinking: he can't bear him, work hard to be his companion. His mother, his mother's mother, had been with him for decades.

At this time, a man and a dog were squatting in the courtyard, the sun was setting in the west, and half of the hillside was darkened. A man and a dog looked up the hillside, and there were still fourteen graves on the hillside, and the graves had been soiled, and they looked very fresh. The fourteen graves seemed to be awake, looking at each other from a distance with a man and a dog.

The afterglow of the west slant stained his eyes, which had long been cloudy, and his face was as furrowed as the bark of a tree, and he stared there still, delusional, for more than fifty years, he had been watching.

The setting sun jumped before his eyes, and the sun disappeared behind the top of the mountain to the west. There was a wind, a breeze, fluttering and fluttering. Fifty years ago, the scene came over like a dream, and the sound of gunfire, shouting and killing, as well as the military horn that had never been sounded, drowned the present and Wang Qinggui, who is now seventy-two years old. He crouched there, like a wooden carving, with tears, two lines of cloudy tears, hot and salty, crawling across his cheeks and the corners of his mouth.

The dog was still lying still, and he squinted at the fourteen graves, and his eyes were joined to him.

Stupidly look at the grave, look at the sunset. The sun set for a moment, and the sky was dark.

Early spring, 1947

In the early spring of 1947, the county independent regiment fought a vicious battle, their enemy was a division of the Provisional Third Army, it was an encounter, it was fought for a day and a night, and more than half of the casualties on both sides were killed. At dawn, the regimental commander Marin gave the order to break through. Wang Qinggui's platoon was appointed as an assault death platoon, and his platoon was almost full at that time, and they rushed out all the way. Behind were the main forces of the separate regiment, covering the wounded and heavy artillery. Artillery was acquired after Japan's surrender and was very precious.

In that fierce battle, there were dozens of wounded alone. The field hospital was in a village, and the wounded were placed in the field hospital. Of the independent regiment of more than 400 people, more than half of the casualties were killed and wounded in that battle, and only more than 200 people remained, and Wang Qinggui's third platoon, plus him, only 15 people remained. He was the platoon commander, and looking at the fourteen brothers who rushed out with him, he always had a feeling of wanting to cry, something was hard in his throat, but he couldn't cry. The smoky faces of the brethren felt that way. In the North China Plain in 1947, the main forces of both sides were fighting fiercely on the battlefield in the northeast. The county independent regiment was a local unit, and the enemy's temporary third army was maneuvering, they wanted to contain the enemy's forces, so as not to prevent the enemy's main force from moving north, and the fourth field army in the northeast was preparing for an all-out counteroffensive, and soon after, the famous Liaoshen Battle began. It was a Jedi counterattack, and the entire Chinese nation sounded the first clarion call for the liberation of the whole of China.

At this time, the independent regiment shouldered all the tasks of containing the Provisional Third Army, and according to the words of the regiment commander Ma Lin: We must fight to the death, even if we drag the Provisional Third Army, we must drag the Temporary Third Army, and we must not let the Temporary Third Army out of the customs.

The Provisional Third Army also regarded the Independent Regiment as a real opponent, and they were bent on destroying the Independent Regiment and then going out of the pass to join the main force. The independent regiment was like a fish in the throat, unable to touch or grasp, so uncomfortably stuck in the throat of the temporary third army.

In the early spring of 1947, a regiment of the Third Army discovered the field hospital, and their team came to the field hospital temporarily living in a small village in three directions. After receiving the information, the independent regiment quickly organized the transfer of the hospital. On that day, too, in the evening, the sun was setting in the west, staining half of the sky red. A regiment of enemies, pursued in three directions. Two ox carts pulled all the belongings of the hospital, and the wounded were naturally on stretchers, moving towards the mountains.

A regiment of the Third Army is getting closer and closer to here, like a hungry cat smelling fishy, and it looks impatient. Wang Qinggui's fifth company was ordered to block the enemy, and the fifth company was famous in the independent regiment, and the company commander Zhao Dafa was in his early thirties, with a full beard, and he was the only one in the battle. The Fifth Company is the team of the Independent Regiment, the backbone of the Independent Regiment, and the ace company. At this time, the independent regiment and the field hospital were in danger, and the task of stopping the enemy fell on the 5th Company.

At this time, the personnel of the fifth company were already out of order, forty or fifty people, two machine guns, and the ammunition was quite sufficient, and the independent regiment gave them all the ammunition.

Zhao Dafa bit his ribs and looked at the dozens of people in front of him. Wang Qinggui is familiar with the expression of the company commander, and whenever there is a vicious battle or a big battle, Zhao Dafa has this expression. Seeing the company commander like this, the soldiers naturally looked solemn, and they understood that a fierce battle to the death was close at hand.

Zhao Dafa said in a humming voice: The dog mongrels of the three armies are here again, the hospital and the main force are being transferred, as long as we hold on here for two hours, we will be considered victorious.

Speaking of this, Zhao Dafa used his eyes to communicate with the dozens of pairs of eyes that were looking at him, and then said: For two hours, we must not let those mongrels take a step forward, even if we are all exhausted, we must also use ghosts to entangle those mongrels.

Wang Qinggui's platoon was arranged on the main position, and the other two platoons were on the hills on both sides of the main position, and Zhao Dafa finally added: When to withdraw from the position, listen to my trumpet, three long and two short, and then we will meet in the back mountain.

Zhao Dafa's side stood the trumpeter Xiao Dezi, who was carrying a copper trumpet, and the copper trumpet flashed in the sunset, dazzling. There was a piece of red silk tied to the handle, and the red silk seemed to be a little unreal at this time. The people of the independent regiment are too familiar with the trumpet of Xiao Dezi, and whenever they charge, retreat, or get up and rest, they listen to the command of this trumpet, and with the trumpet, the troops will move forward.

When Wang Qinggui rushed to the main position with the only remaining fourteen soldiers in the platoon, the sun on the west slope seemed to jump like that, and the sky darkened, and the blood-red sun only bent as a crescent moon on the top of the mountain in the west.

Then they saw the ranks of the three armies, rushing here in three ways, riding horses, running and running, their appearance excited and anxious.

The battle began, and the number of gunshots could be heard at first, and then it became a one, like a gust of wind, and like a piece of thunder, in short, the heavens and the earth suddenly became chaotic. It was dark, the enemy's **** rained down on the position, they had no bunkers at first, trees or stones became their fortifications, and later the craters from the shells became their bunkers. Wang Qinggui jumped from pit to pit, the gun in his hand shooting at the enemy, and he shouted as he shot: Hit - hit me hard. Later, he could no longer hear the machine gun. When he turned his head to look, the big man of the machine gunner, Hu Da, was already lying there. He ran over and nudged the big man, only to feel something slimy on his hand, which he knew was blood. He couldn't do much more, he had to let the machine gun go off and press the enemy down. The machine gun rang out in his arms. Every inch of the ground on the position was hot, even the air burned his throat, and the body of the machine gun burned off a layer of skin in his hand. His ears were buzzing, and there were only explosions and gunshots. Wang Qinggui's eyes were red, and in the firelight, he saw the enemy vaguely, some were retreating, some were rushing forward, he swept the muzzle of the gun, and during this period, he didn't know how many magazines he had changed. At the beginning of the positions on both sides, he could still take a look, and the two sides were also full of fire, but now he couldn't care about other places, and he only had the enemy in front of him. Fight, kill, I don't know how long it took, the position fell silent all of a sudden, there was no sound at all, only his machine gun was still ringing. He paused and listened. His ear drums were still buzzing, it was the after-effects of a big battle, he had encountered it before, and it would be fine after a while.

He shouted: Miao Deshui, Xiaoliuzi......

No one answered, and there was a dead silence.

The charred branches crackled.

He still did not hear the sound of the three long and two short bugles, during the battle, he did not hear, and now he still does not hear.

He shouted again: Jiang Mazi, Xiao Pan, Liu Wendong......

He shouted more than a dozen people in the platoon one by one, but no one answered him, and the position where there was a constant sound of gunfire and artillery just now suddenly fell silent, and he was a little scared and a little panicked. He knew that the machine gunner Hu had died, but what about those people? Could it be that the retreating trumpet had already sounded, and he didn't hear it, and everyone else had withdrawn? Impossible, if the soldiers heard it, they couldn't help but tell him.

Wang Qinggui didn't know the time at this time, and it seemed that time had stopped at this time. He shouted the names of the whole platoon again, including the big man Hu who was lying beside him, and no one answered, not even the enemy under the mountain did not move, and he shouted in his heart: It's not good-

He took the machine gun and ran to the back hill through the night, where the company commander Zhao Dafa asked the team to assemble. The people of the Independent Regiment are no strangers to the terrain here, they have been dealing with the Provisional Third Army here, they are familiar with every ditch and every beam here, and many of the soldiers' homes are in nearby villages.

He ran over a hill and waded through a river, and in a flat field he spotted a convoy of horses, and they were rushing forward. He understood that this was the cavalry battalion of the Provisional Third Army, and the direction in which they were running was the direction in which the main forces and field hospitals had withdrawn. He was so anxious that he wanted to tell the company commander Zhao Dafa the news, and they were going to take a shortcut to intercept the enemy. He ran back to the mountain in one go. At dawn, he finally ran to the back mountain in one go. The stones at the foot of the back hill are still there, they camped here a few days ago, and the ashes that have been burned are still there, but what about the company commander and their people? This place is as quiet as the position, and he shouted: Company commander, Xiao Dezi...... The empty valley has only his echoes. He thought: Oh no, the company commander, they may still be holding on to the position, why did they escape? After thinking about it, he ran towards the position again.

Lost

When Wang Qinggui returned to the position again, he was stunned by the scene in front of him, and the position was in a mess and full of devastation. The green grass that had just sprouted was already scorched, and the branches of the trees were scorched, some of which had been blown away by shells, and some of which had been blown to pieces. Under a tree, he saw the veteran Miao Deshui, and when he joined the army, Miao Deshui was a veteran. Miao veteran rarely speaks, always used to squinting at people, and squatting in a corner to smoke when he is fine. No one can tell the age of the Miao veteran, some people say he is in his twenties, and some people say that he is in his thirties, when people ask the age of the Miao veteran, the Miao veteran smiled indifferently and said: There is no age for soldiers, if someone can remember my sacrifice day, this life will be content.

At this time, the Miao veteran was half-lying and half-lying, his right hand was holding a hand ** that had not yet pulled the string, and his right hand was held like that, and at the last moment of his life, he wanted to throw the hand ** out of his hand, but he was shot. The bullet flew in from the right temple and deflected out in the left back of the head, this was a very powerful bullet, the old soldier Miao had died before he had tasted the pain, his eyes were still so narrow, looking ahead indifferently.

Xiao Liuzi was not far from the Miao veteran, he was leaning against a tree, his head was down, as if he was sleepy, and he was about to sleep, but his gun was still holding like that. Wang Qinggui ran over and shouted: Liu Zi - he went to push him, but he fell on his back. At this time, Wang Qinggui saw clearly that Xiao Liuzi had been hit by a row of bullets in his chest, and the blood did not seem to have completely coagulated, and as he fell on his back, blood gushed out of his chest again. The youngest soldier in the platoon, who had just turned 17 this year, enlisted a year and three months ago, had been in six battles and had been wounded once. On that occasion, he had a bullet in his leg and stomach, and he spent more than 20 days recuperating in the field hospital, shortly after returning to the platoon.

He saw Jiang Mazi. Jiang Mazi lay on a stone, as if he was tired, and slept there, but the blood was soaked in the stone. The gun was still pressing under him, and just as a bullet was fired, the cartridge case had not yet exited the chamber, and he was about to load the bullet when he was hit by an enemy bullet.

The goosebumps on Wang Qinggui's body rose, and a group of soldiers who were still so alive on the battlefield last night moved away from him in a blink of an eye. The position was eerily quiet, except for the slight crackling sound of the branches charred by the shells. He looked around blankly, feeling that all this was very unreal, as if in a dream. He continued to call the names of the soldiers: Liu Wendong and Xiao Pan......

Fourteen of the platoon, plus his fifteen men, had already died. They lie on their stomachs or crouch and fight until the last moment of their lives. Before they died, they were all fearless and fearless. Fourteen soldiers rested in peace, and they seemed to be waiting for the platoon commander's summons, as they had been in life. At this moment, he had no fear, and he didn't have time to fear, at that moment, his mind froze. He looked blankly down the hill, and the enemy's position was empty, and they had swept the battlefield. By daybreak, there was still heavy blood stains there, and by this time the enemy had already taken the corpses away. The heavens and the earth were extremely quiet, and only three or two sparrows flew over in fright, and flew away in a panic.

Wang Qinggui thought of the company commander Zhao Dafa, the company commander was on the hill on the left, and he thought of the company commander and ran to the hill on the left like crazy. He saw the piece of red silk that was too familiar to be more familiar, the red silk tied to Xiao Dezi's military horn. By this time, half of the red silk cloth was charred, and the other half was hanging from a branch. On the ground not far away, the bugle was blown into several pieces and lay on the ground, a pool of blood soaked deep in the dirt. Suddenly, Wang Qinggui understood that the trumpet he was waiting for would never sound, and the company commander's team withdrew, along with the wounded and those soldiers who had sacrificed. Where were they? He came to the right-flank position, and the right-flank position was the same, leaving behind a pile of bullet casings, and a scorched earth, and a streak of blood, and it was empty. They all withdrew, and under what circumstances they withdrew, he did not know, it would always be a mystery. The trumpet that didn't blow put an end to all this. Wang Qinggui stood there, a little sad and a little sad, he was like an abandoned child, standing there alone. He shouted, suddenly: Company commander, where are you-

His mournful screams echoed through the empty valley, and no one responded, only his own voice echoing in wave after wave.

The sun had passed through the middle of the heavens, shining brightly on the silent valley and him. He came to his senses and staggered towards the main position, which was his battlefield, where there were still comrades, and he could not leave them behind. It is the duty of the living, and he is going to bury them, it is the duty of a soldier to sacrifice his comrades. At first he used his hands, and then he used the broken ** and bayonet, he dug fourteen pits on the hillside in one go, put the last comrade-in-arms Xiao Pan in it, and buried it with sand, and the stars in the sky had already come out.

He sat in front of the fourteen graves, gasping for breath, and he had not eaten a drop of water for the rest of the day, and the beating of his heart beat loudly from his throat against his ear drums. At first he was gasping for breath, but when the blood returned to his brain, he regained consciousness, and he felt more lonely than ever when he looked at the fourteen new graves under the shadow of the moon. From joining the army to the present, he has long been accustomed to the days with his comrades, whether it is marching or fighting, even when he sleeps, he is used to smelling the smell of sweat from everyone. Now all this is gone, and he is left alone. The sky covered him like the bottom of a pot, and he was a little afraid, and he was still fighting fiercely with his comrades on the battlefield at this time yesterday. Shooting and shouting, that proves the existence of a living being. Now that it's all over, he's left alone, on this silent mountain. He stood up, and then he understood that he was going to look for his comrades, and only with his comrades was he a warrior. For the first time, he was so eager for his comrades and organization that he raised his head and glanced at the Big Dipper and walked in the direction of the retreat of the large army.

look for

When another dawn came, he returned to the back mountain, where the company commander Zhao Dafa asked them to gather, and at this time he made a new discovery, and there were more than a dozen new graves at the foot of the mountain. Apparently, the company commander they came, and after he left, they came. These dozen or so new graves can prove that they were transferred here with these martyrs after withdrawing from the battle, or it is possible that they were only injured at the beginning and died after walking here. He stood in front of these dozen graves, and regretted a little, if he insisted on waiting, maybe he would have seen the company commander and these people, but he went back, but after thinking about it, he was not wrong to go back, he could not leave those brothers behind, thinking of the fourteen brothers who had been sleeping in the main position, tears flowed down again. He didn't cry when he buried the brothers, and he cried out when he said goodbye to them. Two days ago, there was a group of brothers who talked and laughed, but they left him forever, separated by yin and yang, and since then they have gone their separate ways. Wang Qinggui is a veteran, from being a soldier to the present, he has fought countless battles, but he has never experienced such a tragic battle, and all his brothers were killed in one battle. He is not afraid of death, from the day he became a soldier, he was ready to sacrifice, but his own death and the death of others are two different things, a person was fine a minute ago, talking and laughing with you, a bullet flies, this person is gone, right in front of your eyes, your soul can't help but be shocked, that is cutting your flesh with a blunt knife. His heart is not afraid now, but painful.

He stood there, looking around blankly, he didn't know who was buried here, he could only scan his gaze over the grave, and with each grave, those familiar faces flashed before his eyes. Suddenly, his gaze was fixed on the last grave, where a piece of paper was pressed, and the paper shook in the breeze.

He walked over and picked up the piece of paper, a note to be exact. There was a line written on it:

Comrades, go north.

Ren Qinyou

Ren Qinyou is a platoon commander, so the company commander Zhao Dafa has been sacrificed, if the company commander is here, even if he is injured, this note should have been left by the company commander. He held the note, which had been left for him, and none of them had withdrawn before the three of them. He carried the note in his pocket, he could not leave the secret on the note to the enemy, he was going north and went after the troops.

He was standing there, and he was going to say goodbye to his brethren. He raised his right hand, tears welled up, and he muttered in a choked voice: Brothers, company commander, Wang Qinggui has said goodbye to you, and I will come to see you again after the battle. After speaking, he turned his head, shook off a string of tears, stepped on the hill of early spring, and walked north step by step.

As he passed through a village, he remembered that he hadn't eaten a bite for two days, and that the water had been drunk, from a spring in the mountains. It was only when he saw the fireworks in the world that he felt hungry. So he walked into the village, and he went into the village for two purposes, one was to get something to eat, and the other was to ask where the army was going. Wang Qinggui observed outside the village for a while, and found no abnormality, so he walked towards the village. In front of a house with a hidden courtyard door, he stopped. He shouted inside: fellow, fellow.

After a while, a man with his hands clasped came out and glanced at him, obviously the man was no stranger to his outfit, and naturally he had no fear of it, but just asked: From the independent regiment?

He nodded, and the man opened the door wider and let him in. The man didn't wait for him to say anything, he went into the house again, and this time when he came out with two more corn tortillas in his hand, stuffed them into his hand and said: At that time in the morning, the men and horses of the three armies had just passed, and the independent regiment had suffered defeat?

He didn't nod or shake his head, he couldn't tell if the battle two days earlier had been a defeat or a victory. The company commander told them to hold out for two hours, and they fought for most of the night, not because they did not want to withdraw, but because they did not take advantage of the opportunity to withdraw, and the enemy attacked round after round, how could they dare to withdraw? If this was also a victory, what about the soldiers who remained on the position? He could not answer, so he asked: Have you heard any news from the independent regiment?

The man shook his head: I didn't see it, I only heard that there was a battle with the temporary third army, and I didn't see anyone. You're separated from the team, aren't you?

He thanked the man and took two cakes and came out. He went up again to the mountain, where he devoured the bread. Only then did he feel tired and sleepy, and for two days, not only had he not eaten, but he had not even closed his eyelids. The people of the Third Army had come, but the people of the Independent Regiment had not, so where had the large army gone? Before he could think clearly, he was confused.

In the middle of the night, he woke up, and he was awakened by freezing. The night in early spring was still cold, and his upper body was still wearing cotton clothes for the winter, and for the convenience of marching and fighting, they did not wear cotton pants, but pants. Wang Qinggui, who came to his senses, was already sober.

This time, the three armies did not give up on them, and it seems that the situation of the independent regiment is already very dangerous. The task of the Independent Regiment was to hold back the Provisional Third Army and prevent Chiang Kai-shek from transferring troops outside the Guanwai. For more than a year, they have been maneuvering with the Temporary Third Army. There were difficult times in the past, when the regiment commander Zhang Letian had plans to transfer the troops to Shanxi, but later he persevered. A few days ago, the Independent Regiment and the Provisional Third Army fought an encounter, and nearly half of the Independent Regiment was killed or wounded, and the field hospital was filled with people at once. The field hospital was placed under the management of the military division, and the original intention was to transfer the field hospital. The brigade of the military sub-district has already left for Shanhaiguan, which is an order from the superiors. The people of the Independent Regiment realized that there was going to be a big battle and a bad battle in the Northeast. At that time, it was the eve of the start of the Liaoshen Campaign, and both the enemy and us were deploying troops. Due to the large number of wounded, the field hospital was not completed for the time being, and this time it could only hide in Tibet with the independent regiment.

Wang Qinggui sat on the top of the hill with his back against a tree, and he couldn't tell where the independent regiment had withdrawn. There was no news of the independent regiment, so he could only inquire about the enemy, who was chasing the independent regiment with the wind, and maybe he could catch up with the enemy, and it would not be far from the main force. Without further ado, he said he would go. Before leaving, he checked the gun in his arms, it was a short gun, and there were six rounds of ammunition. In the first battle, they not only lost their men, but also fought almost all the ammunition. There were six bullets, which made him feel a little more steady. He glanced in the direction of the Big Dipper, and set out on a journey to find the team.

He knew that in order to find the troops, he could not just wander around in a quiet place. The Third Army is now in relentless pursuit of the independent regiments that have lost their troops and generals, and only in the places where they are fighting can there be large troops. He was tracking the troops, and he was also looking for the Provisional Third Army.

Wang Qinggui just walked and stopped, inquiring from time to time. On the fifth day, he came to the village of Xinji. At first, he didn't know that this village was called Xinji, and he knew that Xinji was still a matter of later. It was still the evening of the day, and most of the sun's body had disappeared behind the mountain in the west, and he wanted to find a fellow countryman to rest for the night, inquire about the situation, and leave tomorrow at dawn, as he had been all the past few days. As soon as he walked into the village, he saw an old man coming back from herding sheep, and more than a dozen sheep were as thin as the old man. He saw the old man, and the old man also saw him, and the old man was stunned for a moment, and he stepped forward, but before he could speak, the old man spoke first: Why are you back again?

He was pleasantly surprised and asked: Has the independent regiment been here?

The old man replied: Didn't you beg for water in my house in the morning?

He stood in front of the old man, and said anxiously and eagerly: I'm looking for a team, where is the independent regiment now?

The old man looked at him a few times, as if he was pondering his true identity, and only after a while did the old man say: The independent regiment came in the middle of the night yesterday and took up roots in the Nanshan ravine; in the morning they went to the village to ask for water, and they had breakfast in the Nanshan ravine, and then they hurried to the west, carrying hundreds of wounded men. As soon as they left on their front feet, the people of the three armies chased after them, so they hung over.

Wang Qinggui didn't want to enter the village anymore, it seemed that the independent regiment was not far from here, carrying so many wounded, as well as all the belongings of the hospital and logistics, it would probably not go too far. He's going to catch up with the team, maybe tomorrow he'll catch up. Thinking about it this way, he gave up his plan to go into the village to rest, thanked the old man, and chased quickly to the west, he was almost running. The old man behind him said: I estimate that they are going to enter Yandang Mountain. He turned around again and waved at the old man.

Running down in one breath, there is a black mountain shadow in front of you, that is Yandang Mountain. Yandang Mountain is no stranger to him, and he used to come to Yandang Mountain when the independent regiment was resting. On this night, the moon and stars are scarce, and it is very suitable for rushing, because the team is in front of him, and his legs have momentum and direction. He was walking, and suddenly not far ahead, there was a dense burst of gunfire, which happened an hour after he left Xinji Village. The stars had not yet filled the sky, and the moon hung in a corner of the eastern sky. His frantic heart was beating as hard as the gunshot. He knew that his team was in the direction of the gunshots, and judging from the gunshots, less than two miles ahead, it was the battlefield. He pulled his short gun from his waist and ran forward in a roundabout way. At this moment, he saw the battle of fire clearly, someone on a hill was shooting downward, and the ranks of the three armies on both sides of the mountain were climbing upward. He saw the terrain clearly and felt his way through the slope of the hill behind the left, so that he could meet his men and avoid the enemy.

When he climbed halfway up the mountain, he could almost see his comrades, and he even heard the roars of his comrades while shooting: hit, hit hard—

He wanted to make a 100-meter sprint and jump to the position at once, but then he noticed a group of enemies quietly detouring behind his comrades and touching the top of the hill. The comrades in ambush were only focused on shooting at the enemy in front of them, but they did not expect that their back had already been touched by the enemy. If the enemy succeeds, it only takes one charge to smash our positions to pieces. Without further ado, he did not have time to think about it, and shouted: The enemy is coming—and after two shots, he saw one of the enemy fall. The enemy quickly fired at him, and he retreated down the hill under the cover of the trees. His goal was achieved, his comrades had spotted the enemy behind him, turned their guns and fired at the enemy. They must have wondered how reinforcements could appear behind them. Wang Qinggui knew that he could not be entangled with the enemy, he was on the hillside with the enemy, and his comrades-in-arms could not distinguish between friend and foe, which was very dangerous. He could only withdraw first, and then look for an opportunity to join his comrades.

The enemy was discovered, and the fire quickly suppressed them, and they also retreated in a hurry, at which time the enemy found Wang Qinggui. Several enemies were shooting and chasing after them. Bullets flew backwards in front of him. He fired two more shots back, and he counted the bullets he had fired, and there were already four, and there were two more rounds, and one of the guns must be left for himself at the end, and even if he died, he could not let the enemy take the prisoner. He was running forward when suddenly his thigh hurt and he fell to the ground. There was a deep ditch in front of him, and he rolled into it. He was wounded, and hot blood was pouring out of his right thigh.

The enemy did not chase him, he was alone, the target was not large, and the enemy probably thought that he had been killed. The enemy behind him again touched the blocking position of the separate regiment. Wang Qinggui seized the opportunity to treat his wounds, he tore open the corner of his clothes and tied the wounds. He lay there, listening to the fierce gunfire not far away, and secretly hated himself in his heart, his comrades were in front of him, but he could not go to the ranks now. He was full of remorse, but he couldn't help himself, because of the loss of blood, and because of the fatigue, the sound of those gunshots seemed to become distant. He lost consciousness.

After some time, he was awakened by a dense burst of gunfire, which seemed to be right over his head. He opened his eyes and saw someone running across the ditch. Broke through, this is his comrades-in-arms, he snorted and shouted: Comrade, I'm here-

The sound of gunshots, running footsteps, rang out. His cries were so faint that no one could hear him. He hated his injured leg, if his leg was not injured, he would have caught up with him and broke through with his comrades, now he can't drag his comrades down, and his comrades don't have time to save him.

He first saw his comrades cross the deep ditch one by one, and after a while, he saw the enemy swarming over. Gradually, the gunfire became farther and quieter.

He couldn't stay here any longer, and he crawled down the bottom of the ditch. There were times when he tried to get up, but he fell and had to crawl forward. His comrades-in-arms were gone, and he missed the opportunity to reunite with his comrades. He wants to live, and only by living can he find his comrades again. He struggled to crawl forward, the moon skimming over his head. I don't know how long later, his eyes went dark, and the man lost consciousness again.

When Wang Qinggui woke up, two people, an old man and a young man, stood in front of him, to be precise, he was awakened by the sound of an old man and a young man's voice. He saw that the old man seemed to be a little familiar, and he couldn't remember where he had seen it for a while. The young girl was a girl, seventeen or eighteen years old, biting her lower lip and looking delicate.

When the old man saw him open his eyes, he said, "You are wounded and have shed a lot of blood."

He wanted to say something, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't speak.

The old man bent down and said to the girl, "Quick, help him up."

The girl supported his upper body and helped him sit up, but her hands were not working. The old man and the girl worked together to help him onto the old man's back. The old man staggered to his feet, and then said to the girl: Xiaolan, drive the sheep back, let's go.

The old man carried him, and Xiaolan drove the dozen sheep back, and then he remembered that the old man was the old man he had seen last night.

After resting a few times, I finally arrived at the old man's house. He was lying on the kang, and the blood on his legs was still oozing out little by little. Xiaolan was boiling water, and the old man was rummaging through boxes and cabinets looking for something. The old man finally took out a paper bag and put it on the kang, which was red medicine. He was also injured when he fought Takahashi, and he used that medicine. The independent regiment liberated Takahashi, it was a big battle, at that time he was the squad leader, and the fighters of the whole squad finally fought out, leaving only one machine gun and one person, rushing towards the water tower. The water tower is the commanding height of the high bridge, on which the enemy flag is planted. There were many enemies guarding it, and a squad of men died in the assault on that water tower. In the end, he rushed forward with one shot at a time, tore down the enemy's flag, hung a red flag, and finally held on to the flagpole and held on for a long time before falling down little by little. He was wounded several times that time, but fortunately, he didn't die. He recuperated in a field hospital for more than a month. The moment when he held the flagpole was captured by a war correspondent and posted in a newspaper with the title "Hero's Flag". He was awarded a first-class meritorious service in the Battle of Takahashi, and after being discharged from the hospital, he was appointed as the commander of the sharp knife platoon of the independent regiment.

The old man told him to take the red medicine and put some medicine on his wound. Only then did the old man raise his head and let out a long sigh: Fortunately, the gun flew, if it was left on his body, it would be troublesome.

The gunshot wound was on the inside of the thigh, and the bullet came out of the leg, injuring the flesh and tendons. Xiaolan cooked a bowl of porridge for him, it was millet porridge, he couldn't sit up, he couldn't lie down, and in the end, Xiaolan fed him spoonful by spoonful. As soon as his heart was hot, his eyes turned red, and tears flowed down the corners of his eyes little by little.

The old man was smoking, taking a deep sip and a shallow sip. When the old man saw his tears, he said: Young man, our grandfather is also fate, nothing. My eldest son also went to the army, and he has been gone for three years, saying that he was out of the customs, and there is no letter to him until now.

At this moment, Wang Qinggui understood the feelings of the old Han's family, and only later did he know that the small village where he was located was called Xinji Village. In last night's battle, the villagers heard the sound of gunfire. The old man's surname is Wu, and Wu Laohan specially drove the sheep there early in the morning, and found him.

In the days to come, Lao Han and Xiaolan treated him very well, and during the day, Lao Han went to herd sheep, only Xiaolan waited for him, changed his medicine and cooked. He now has the strength to sit up, and when it's okay, Xiaolan talks to him.

Xiaolan said: My brother is your age, and he left home in the nineteenth year.

He looked at Xiaolan's heart warm, he remembered his home, his father was gone when he was very young, and he and his mother depended on each other. My mother died the year he joined the army. My mother has a disease, and she is always wheezing and breathing. One night, my mother finally couldn't breathe, so she left him. His mother is gone, he has become a child without a home, and it was the expansion of the squad that made him a soldier. He has never returned to his hometown since he was a soldier, his hometown is called Wangjiazhuang, and most of the people in a village are surnamed Wang. There is no concern at home, and it is the same whether he goes back or not.

Xiaolan treated him like this, which reminded him of his mother. He was sick, and his mother fed him like this. But my mother still went, my mother's asthma was caused by my father's death, and he didn't have much impression of my father, he only remembered the grave on the hill behind the village. Every New Year's Day, his mother always took him to the grave of his father, who had a sudden illness when he was two years old. After his mother died, he buried his mother by his father's side.

Xiaolan talked to him, he also talked to Xiaolan, he knew from Xiaolan's mouth that Xiaolan's mother also died of illness a few years ago, and only she and her father were left in the family, living on a dozen sheep and the thin land on the side of the mountain. After her brother joined the army, she always missed him, and she and her father often stood on the road at the entrance of the village, looking into the distance. She and her father thought that maybe at some point, her brother would come back.

Wang Qinggui remembered again that when Wu Laohan looked at the entrance of the village that evening, he approached little by little in Wu Laohan's sight. Maybe at the first moment, the old man mistook him for his son.

After a few days, his injuries gradually improved, but he still couldn't get off the ground, so he could only lean against the wall and look out the window.

Xiaolan said: Don't worry, the team will come to you.

He knew in his heart that no one in the team knew he was here, so he had to go to the team himself.

Xiaolan sometimes sat there and looked out the window with him, and then murmured: I miss my brother, I wonder if he is okay now?

When Xiaolan said this, there were tears in her eyes.

He wanted to comfort Xiaolan, but he didn't know what to say, the things on the team were really hard to say. He remembered the blockade, his own platoon, and fourteen brothers all stayed on that hillside. He's hurt again, he's lying here, what can he say?

In the evening, after Wu Laohan came back, he lay on the kang with him, talked about the affairs of the army without a match, and missed his son through Wang Qinggui's description of the army. Wang Qinggui can understand this mood.

Friendship or love

Ten days later, Wang Qinggui was able to walk with a stick, and more often he stood in the courtyard and looked into the distance. For so many days, he has been worried about the troops in his heart, but there is no news from the troops at all. Every day, when Wu Laohan came back from herding sheep, he asked Wu Laohan for news of the troops, but there was no news of the independent regiment. Xinji, a small village surrounded by mountains, is surprisingly quiet these days. Wang Qinggui could only worry about the troops in his heart.

After this period of getting along, Wang Qinggui has integrated into Wu Laohan's family, and Xiaolan calls him brother. One night, Wu Laohan beside Wang Qinggui had been smoking on the kang, and Wang Qinggui knew that the old man had something to say, so he waited quietly. Finally, Wu Laohan spoke, he said: Xiao Wang, do you think this family is good?

Wang Qinggui said: Okay, you are like my father, and Xiaolan is like my own sister.

Since Wang Qinggui came to this home, he has always been full of gratitude to the father and daughter. He knew that if it weren't for father and daughter, he wouldn't be alive now.

Wu Laohan said again: I have been there for more than three years, and I have not even had a letter.

When Wang Qinggui heard this, his heart sank, and he knew what it meant to fight.

Wu Laohan also said: I'm old, Xiaolan is a girl, and my family lacks a man who can handle things.

He realized Wu Laohan's intentions, but he was silent, not knowing how to answer.

After a long time, another half an hour, Wu Laohan said again: Xiao Wang, what do you think of our Xiaolan?

He said, "Yes."

He could only answer with "good", Xiaolan treated him like a brother for so many days, not only taking care of him to eat and drink, but also serving him feces and urine, Xiaolan's face was red when she did this. He felt sorry for Xiaolan, and he was also moved by Xiaolan. He hadn't dealt with a girl so close before.

Wu Laohan seemed to have the courage to say: You also know my family, and that's it, if you don't dislike it, stay and don't leave.

He didn't speak for a long time, and for the first time in these days, he felt the warmth of family. After so many years of fighting, the concept of home has long been indifferent, to be honest, he really wants to stop here and not leave, but the independent regiment is holding his heart, the regiment commander, and those comrades-in-arms, the independent regiment is now the most difficult time, being chased by the temporary three armies to run around, at this time he can't leave the army, leave his comrades. In the past, he also thought that if he could survive and stop fighting, what would he do? The answer is yes, that is, two acres of land and a cow, and go home to live. Now that the battle is not over, those comrades-in-arms don't know where they are, how can he stay and live?

He said to Wu Laohan: No, I still have to find the team.

Wu Laohan said no more, put out the cigarette, and lay there still. He knew that Wu Laohan was not asleep, they were thinking about their own thoughts, so they were silent.

Suddenly, Wu Laohan said: Do you look down on my family Xiaolan?

He replied: No.

Wu Laohan said again: Then you don't like this home?

He said, "No, I am a member of the Independent Regiment, and I cannot leave them at this time."

Wu Laohan didn't say anything, sighed and turned over.

When the mountains around Xinji were green, Wang Qinggui's injuries were completely healed. He tried to jump two steps in the yard that day, and jumped twice, and the wound was still a little painful, but it was no longer a big problem, and he felt that it was time for him to go.

After talking to him on that occasion, he offered to leave, but at that time he still had to carry a stick.

Wu Laohan became anxious when he heard this, and said urgently: What are you talking about? You want to leave like this, are you afraid of staying and bearing the burden? Don't forget, my son is also a member of the team, and I still have this awareness.

Since then, he hasn't talked about it.

Xiaolan still takes care of him so carefully. These days, Xiaolan's gaze and eyes looking at him have changed, Xiaolan's eyes looked at him waterily, and she blushed before she spoke. When he saw Xiaolan like this, his heart jumped.

That day, he stood in the courtyard again and looked into the distance. Before this, Xiaolan dismantled and washed his military uniform. He came in a padded jacket and trousers, but now that the weather is warm, he can't wear them anymore. Xiaolan found his brother's clothes for him, and Xiaolan, who had done these things, stood beside him at some point. She looked into the distance with him.

He could smell the smell of orchid grass emanating from Xiaolan's body, and Xiaolan said: "That night, I heard what you and my father said.

He turned around to look at Xiaolan, who blushed, lowered her head, and rubbed the corners of her clothes.

He said, "I'm sorry."

She said: I don't blame you, you are a member of the team.

He saw two tears creeping down her cheeks.

His heart ached, twitching, and his eyes were a little wet. He said, "When there is no more fighting, I will come back to you."

Xiaolan lowered her head and went back to the house. At that moment, his heart went up and down.

Now that his injuries have finally healed, he's on his way.

That day, Xiaolan got up early in the morning, baked a stack of cakes, and carefully wrapped them in a furoshi, which was brought to him to eat on the way.

Wu Laohan has been squatting at the door and smoking, taking a light sip and a heavy sip. As usual, after breakfast, the three of them understood that he was about to hit the road. Wu Laohan said: Xiaolan and I will send you, anyway, I will go to herd sheep.

Three men and a dozen sheep left the house and walked up the hillside. East, west, north and south, he didn't have a goal, he couldn't tell where the troops went. A month earlier, he had seen the troops go west, and he decided to go west first. The three of them walked forward silently, and when they came to the ditch where he was injured, Wu Laohan stopped, pointed forward with his hand, and said: Go forward is Yandang Mountain.

He also stood on his feet, and Xiaolan handed him the burden, and he took it, feeling the warmth of the bread in his hand. He didn't know what to say, and all three of them looked away.

He finally said: When I find the troops and stop fighting, I will go home.

When he said this, tears had already welled up in his eyes, he saluted Wu Laohan and Xiaolan, turned around, and strode forward.

After walking a long way, when he turned around to look, Wu Laohan and Xiaolan were still standing there, and in his sight, there was only a blurred shadow. His tears welled up again, and he secretly said in his heart: As long as I am alive, I will come back.

Detention Place

Wang Qinggui also visited many villages and mountain beams, and he searched all the places where the Independent Regiment used to be active, but there was no news about the Independent Regiment. He also asked many people, and those people also said that they had not seen anyone from the Independent Regiment for a long time, and even the Provisional Third Army had disappeared without a trace. He went from spring to autumn, and the leaves on the mountains turned green and yellow.

During this period, many changes took place in the battlefields of Northeast China and North China. The Liaoshen Campaign has ended, the Pingjin Campaign has also come to an end, and after the liberation of Tianjin, Beiping has also been peacefully liberated. In the end, Wang Qinggui found the county party committee, and he had held a meeting with the county party committee before and sent notices. When the Third Army was there, the county party committee had also been fighting guerrillas, and they stayed in this village for a while, and stopped in that village. In the end, he thought of the county party committee, and under the guidance of well-wishers, he found the county party committee in a town, and he was met by a secretary surnamed Zhou. When he learned that he was looking for the independent regiment, Secretary Zhou's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked him up and down for a long time, and then he told his name and the reason for falling behind. Secretary Zhou sighed and said: The Independent Regiment was reorganized half a year ago.

Only then did he learn that not only the independent regiment had been reorganized, but also many local armies. The Provisional Third Army was also requisitioned by Chiang Kai-shek's troops to participate in the Pingjin Campaign. The independent regiment has already been reorganized by the regular army, and it is not clear what number it is now and where it is stationed. In the end, Secretary Zhou still told him that there was a local army stationed in the provincial capital, and if he went there to ask, he might be able to find out the news of the independent regiment.

Wang Qinggui walked for more than ten days and finally came to the provincial capital. The provincial capital has long been liberated, full of free people, and the walls are plastered with red slogans.

He walked around and asked, and finally saw the sign of the left-behind place in an alley, the full name was: The local army was reorganized into the left-behind place. When he pushed open the door of the detention center, he found that there were not many people inside, and a thin man with glasses greeted him with a puzzled look. The man asked him what was the matter, and he said he was looking for the Independent Regiment. Comrade Glasses looked him up and down again, and when he saw the suspicion of the other party, he once again told him how he had fallen behind. Comrade Glasses sighed, took out a notebook from the drawer, and searched for it for a long time before saying: Your original regiment has been reorganized into the 182nd Division.

He seemed to see a glimmer of light and couldn't wait to ask: Where is the 182nd Division now? I'm going to look for them.

Comrade Glasses shook his head and said: This is a secret, we don't know what is going on in the troops, and I heard that the troops are going south again.

He still had something to gain in the detention center, and he knew that the Independent Regiment was now in the 182nd Division. With such a number, it was possible for him to find the independent regiment.

When he came out into the street again, he found many soldiers on the street, singing and marching in a line. There are also some soldiers who practice assassination and fighting in an open field, and the scene is in full swing. It was only then that he realized that the clothes of these soldiers in front of him were very different from his own. He wore gray cloth clothes when he was in the independent regiment, and the current soldiers are all khaki yellow, and many soldiers look at him strangely. His face was a little red under the gaze of everyone. In a column of soldiers, he saw a person who looked like a leader, and he immediately stepped forward, saluted and said: Comrade chief, I want to ask where the 182nd Division is?

The chief looked at him and said, "I don't know, this is the 73rd Division."

The leader was about to leave again, so he pulled the chief's sleeve and said: "Tell me, chief, I am a member of the Independent Regiment, and the Independent Regiment has been reorganized into the 182nd Division, and I want to find my own team."

The chief seemed to be a little more serious, and said: I really don't know, the deployment of troops is a military secret, the 182nd Division may be in the south, we are not an army, I'm sorry.

When the chief had finished speaking, he turned and left.

He stood there, looking at the departing procession, and suddenly felt lonely in his heart. In the past, when he was looking for a team, he always had a thought, that is, sooner or later, he would definitely find his team, but now the team is in front of him, but it is not his own team, and no one can know him. He was not reconciled, he wanted to find the biggest leader in this team, and the chief must know where the 182nd Division was.

After inquiring for a long time and walking for a long time, he finally found the office of the military department. There were guards at the door, who kept saluting the chiefs who came in and out of the business. He walked over, and the guards stopped him and politely asked: What part are you from, what is the matter?

He said: I am from the independent regiment, looking for your commander.

The guard said, "I haven't heard of the Independent Regiment, what are you looking for our commander?" Our commander is very busy.

He said: I will ask where the 182nd Division is, and I will come out after asking.

After he finished speaking, he was about to go inside, but the guards stopped him, but he did not listen, and he was eager to know where the 182nd Division was at present. The guards forcibly grabbed him, and he tore him with the guards. At this time, a chief came out and shouted: What are you doing?

The guards stopped, and hurriedly saluted the chief: "Commander, this person wants to find you, saying that it is an independent regiment, I have not heard of it.

He also saw the commander, who was very dark, but his face was kind. He ran over and saluted the army commander and said: Report to the chief, I am Wang Qinggui, the platoon commander of the third platoon of the fifth company of the independent regiment.

The commander looked at him carefully, and it seemed that the commander had never heard of the title of independent regiment, so he briefly told him how he had fallen behind and looked for the team. The army commander seemed to understand, and then frowned and said: The 182nd Division you said is the advance force going south, and they have been setting off for more than ten days.

He seemed to see hope again, and eagerly asked: Where are they now?

The commander shook his head and said: Only their commander knows.

And where is their military headquarters? He asked reluctantly.

The commander said: Their army has set off, and I don't know the specific location.

After the commander finished speaking, he turned around and was about to walk into the courtyard, but after taking two steps, he stopped and said: Little comrade, I advise you not to look for it, you can't find it, when the whole of China is liberated, the troops will come back, and then you can look for it again. Now is the time for war, one place at a time.

He took the commander's words to heart, and the commander was telling the truth, not to mention the 182nd Division, even if their independent regiment was in such a place in the county, he couldn't find it, not to mention that the troops went south again. Thinking of this, he could only wait, and the moment he decided to wait, his tears flowed.